Rivet feed



' April 1937 J. GUALTIERE 2,078,659

RIVET FEED Filed April 1 6, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 ll'h. i 11mm.

Ill!

INVENTOR Jail zu fizzalizere M M A ORNEYS April 27, 1937. J. GUALTIERE .VRIVET FEED Filed April 16, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN'TOR ZZll/Zlic WM 4114 A'ITORNEYS April 27, 1937. J. GUALTIERE 2,073,659

RIVET FEED Fild April 16, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR A TTORNEYS Patented Apr. 27, 1937 UNITED STATES FATENT OFFIQE RIVET FEED Application April 16, 1935, Serial No. 16,575

10 Claims.

The present invention relates broadly to machines for feeding and setting rivets and more especially to a rivet feed mechanism adapted to feed multiple pronged rivets.

The present invention comprises a mechanism for feeding multiple pronged rivets of the type formed from cups of sheet metal having a plurality of prongs extending from the periphery of the cup. The rivet illustrated in the present application comprises a four pronged rivet, the prongs of which are located at 90 apart around the periphery of the head of the rivet or the cup portion thereof. Rivets of this type are usually of light weight and the prongs are of a substantial length so that the rivets tend to collect in entangled masses which render the feedin thereof difficult. The feeding is further com plicated by the light weight. of the individual rivet and the length of the outstanding prongs from the edge of the rivet.

The rivet feed comprising the present invention includes agitating members tending to stir up the mass of rivets, and a restraining barrier which prevents the entrance of a large mass of rivets into the feed zone of the feed cup. There is also provided a positioning bar which aligns the prongs of the rivets as they enter the feed chute.

More specifically, the present invention resides in a feeding cup having on its face a plurality of selection studs which select for feeding such rivets as are faced in one definite direction. A barrier wheel is carried adjacent the ends of the selection studs and is mounted upon arms which act as agitators that pass through the mass of rivets being tumbled about in the feed cup. A portion of the rim of the barrier wheel is cut away to facilitate the entrance of small masses of tangled rivets from a feed hopper into the feed cup, and from it into the rivet feed zone comprising the selection studs. The remaining portion of the barrier wheel comprises a barrier rim which tends to block the free movement of a compact mass of unlocked rivets, from the hopper into the feed cup.

More specifically, the embodiment of the present invention includes a barrier wheel having three angularly disposed arms leading from the inner edge of the barrier wheel to a hub mounted on a sleeve comprising the hub of the feed cup. The curvature of these spokes is such as to stir up the mass of rivets in the feed cup without substantially interfering with the progress of the rivets to the feed face of the feed cup. These three spokes are spaced apart 120 and the rim or inner edge of the barrier Wheel is cut away between one pair of spokes for a distance slightly less than 120. The remainder of the barrier rim of the barrier wheel extends between the remaining spokes for a space of slightly less than 240".

As the pronged rivets escape between the barrier wheel and the feed face of the feed cup, the prongs are all positioned outwardly, and these rivets fall down a curved pathway adjacent one side of the feed cup. A floating guide bar is provided adjacent the lower end of the, curved feed chute in such manner as to enter between the outwardly faced prongs of a rivet and cause the rivet to turn as it drops into the vertical feed chute so that the prongs of the rivets in the vertical feed chute occupy parallel rows. The edges of the vertical feed chute are spaced apart a distance less than. the diameter of the head of the rivet but slightly greater than the distance between the parallel rows of prongs, so that when a rivet is guided by the guide bar into the verti- H cal chute, the edges of the vertical chute bearing on the prongs prevent the rivet from rotatin and thereby guide thev rivet to the setting head with the prongs in a definite, predetermined position.

It is to be understood that the disclosure herewith is illustrative and not to be considered in the limiting sense.

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention showing a portion of the feed cup broken away.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the feed hopper and feed cup mechanism taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of the barrier wheel.

Fig. 5 is a section of the barrier wheel taken on line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a type of rivet adapted to be fed by the devices disclosed.

Fig. 7 is a detailed sectional view of the prong positioning guide taken on line l'l of Fig. 8.

Fig.8 is a detail view of the positioning guide shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view on line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Referring to the drawings and more especially to Figs. 1 and 3, a main frame I carries a hopper frame 2 which is provided with a hopper chute 4 and a bearing 5. A feed cup shaft 6 rotates in the bearing 5 and is provided with a collar 1. This shaft 6 carries on one end a ratchet wheel 8 and on the other end a feed cup 9 which is frictionally pressed against the collar '1 by a pressure spring ID that is tensioned by a thumb nut II. The feed cup 9 is provided on its interior with stepped recesses l2, I4, and 15 with the stepped recess l5 being conical and slanting toward the work face l6 on the edge or rim of the feed cup. This work face I6 is provided with an annular ring of openings l1 into which are tightly pressed the stems of conical headed studs IS. The hub [9 of a barrier wheel 28 is secured on a hub 2| of the feed cup 9. Spokes 22 of the barrier wheel extend from the hub 59 to the rim 24 of the barrier wheel 28. This rim 24 is provided with a plane face 25 which engages a circular track 26 on the hopper frame that is interrupted at the upper portion by the hopper chute 4. The

rim 24 for the barrier wheel 20 is also provided with a work face 27 substantially parallel to the work face E6 on the feed cup 9, and the work face 21 of the barrier wheel is spaced at sum'cient distance away from the ends of the conical headed studs 18 to permit the passage of properly positioned pronged rivets over the conical heads of the studs i8 and between the work face [6 on the feed cup and the work face 2! on the barrier wheel. The spokes 22 of the barrier wheel are curved and preferably are three in number so that when the feed cup and the barrier wheel are rotated by the feed cup shaft 6 these curved arms tend to agitate the mass of pronged rivets which have been fed to the feed cup 9 through the hopper chute 4.

Referring to Figs. 3, 4, and 5, it will be noted the barrier wheel is provided with a wide rim 23 which extends between three of the spokes for a distance of substantially 240 around the rim 24 of the barrier wheel. The remaining portion of the rim 2!] comprises a narrow rim 29 and this narrow portion extends for a distance slightly less than of the rim 24. By reference to Fig. 3, it is noted the inner surface 38 of the narrow rim 29 is substantially a continuation of a portion of the conical surface 3| comprising the bottom of the hopper chute 4.

It is well known in the art in using a machine of the character herein described that only a small number of rivets are to be introduced at one time into the feed hopper 4. The feed hopper is never filled to capacity with rivets for the reason that a large mass of pronged rivets tends to become tangled and does not feed satisfactorily. Therefore, only a handful of rivets are introduced into the machine at a time. These rivets drop to the bottom of the hopper and rest upon the inclined surface 3|, Fig. 3. This relatively small mass of rivets encounters alternately the barrier portions 28 and narrow portion 29 of the rim 24 of the barrier wheel 20. The effect of the varying width of the barrier rim 24 is to alternately block and release the movement of a mass of rivets from the bottom of the feed hopper into the recess of the feed cup. This has the tendency of feeding into the cup smaller amounts of entangled rivets than would be the case if the wide portions of the rim were not present. The result is that the smaller masses of rivets when tumbled tend to separate into individual rivets more easily than where larger and more compact masses of rivets are fed into the feed cup. While the narrow rim portion of the periphery of the rim releases the free flow of rivets into the hopper for one portion only of the feed hopper, it does not interfere with the continuous operation of the entire periphery of the feed hopper face intending to feed rivets that are already within the feed hopper. Therefore, while there is a tendency to intermittently interrupt the free flow of rivets into the feed cup through the major portion of the complete rota tion of the feed cup, there is no interruption of the feeding action of the entire feed face of the feed cup during its continued rotation.

As the feed cup is rotated (by mechanism hereinafter described), the relatively small mass 01 untangled rivets tends to separate into individual rivets and since the studs H! are spaced sufiiciently close together to block the passage of rivets between the studs, the rivets are compelled to pass over the studs i8 with the prongs of the rivets extending towards the work face it; on the feed cup 9, in order for the rivets to escape from the feed cup between the work face on the bar-' rier wheel and the work face on the feed cup. Only those rivets having prongs extending toward the work face is on the feed cup 9 meet the required conditions for escape. The rivets which pass over the studs [8 either drop directly into the curved chute 32 or against the edge 64 on the hopper frame and the rotation of the feed cup 9 which is in a clockwise direction (Fig. 1) carries the rivets forwardly to a portion of the chute 32 which is open so that the rivet may drop into place. Consequently, all rivets escaping from the feed cup over the conical headed studs I8 have their prongs positioned outwardly.

When rivets escape from the feed cup, they drop into the curved chute 32 (Fig. 1) adjacent a portion of the periphery of the feed cup and barrier wheel and continue by gravity to move downwardly in this curved chute to enter the vertical chute 34. The entrance to the vertical chute 34 is provided with a guide bar 35 which has a wedge-shaped end 36 and which bar is carried in the vertical chute 34 by a plate 37. The vertical chute 34 comprises a back plate 38 upon which are mounted a pair of edge plates 39 and 40. These edge plates are under cut at 4! and 42 to provide a passageway. for the heads of the rivets, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8. As the rivets slide into the vertical chute 34,

' the wedge end 36 in guide bar 35 passes between the prongs of the rivets to position the rivets with the prongs of successive rivets in parallel relation. Work faces of the edge plates 39 and 48 are sufiiciently close together to slightly overlap the side portions of the heads of the rivets and to substantially guide the prongs of four pronged rivets in such manner that the rivets move down the vertical chute 34 with the prongs thereof in two vertical rows as indicated at A and B in Fig. 8. The plate 8'! carrying the guide bar 35 is spaced suificiently above the back plate 38 to permit the passage of rivets beneath the carrying plate 3?, as shown in Fig. 7, and is spaced from the edge plates 4! and 42 to provide channels for the rivet prongs, as shown in Fig. 8.

The main frame I carries an operating lever 44 which is operated by a foot treadle and connected links, as is common in the art. This operating lever is secured to an operating shaft 45 on which is mounted a lever arm 48. The lever arm 46 is connected through a stud and slot connection 47 with a ratchet lever 48 pivoted at 49 and which carries a ratchet pawl 50 cooperating with the ratchet wheel 8 mounted on the feed cup shaft 6 so that each time the lever 44 completes an oscillation, the ratchet pawl 59 engages the teeth of the ratchet wheel 8 and partially rotates the feed cup 9. The lever arm 46 is also connected with a cut off slide through a lever 55 pivoted on the main frame at 52 and with a portion of the lever comprising a leaf spring 54 which operates a cut oif slide 55, as is common in the art, to control the feed of rivets from the vertical chute 34 to a suitable rivet cup 56.

The forward end of the operating lever. 44 is connected by a pair of links 51 with a rivet setting plunger 58 which is mounted in a slideable bearing 59 carried by the main frame and which plunger drives the rivet through the rivet cup 56 and against a setting anvil (not shown).

The curved chute 32 is covered by a removable cover plate 60. A rejection spring 6| is located above the horizontal middle of the feed cup and tends to throw back into the feed cup any rivets which stick between the barrier wheel and the edge of the feed cup and extend outwardly a sufficient distance to engage the rejection spring. A bristle brush 62 is mounted above the feed cup with the bristles extending into the space between the inner face of the barrier wheel and the work face of the feed cup in such manner that the bristles sweep over the studs I8 and brush off of these studs any rivets which might be hanging thereon. The side of the feed cup opposite to the circular chute 32 is slightly spaced from an edge 64 on the hopper frame that engages the edges of the barrier wheel and feed cup so that the only avenue of escape of rivets from the feed cup is into the circular chute 32 and from the circular chute 32 into the vertical chute 34.

The type of rivet more especially adapted for use in the present machine is illustrated in Fig. 6 and comprises a sheet metal member having a cupped body portion 65 with a rim 66 from which four prongs 61 extend. This type of rivet is frequently made from light weight sheet brass and the individual rivets therefore are of relatively small weight so that when a number of such rivets are dumped into the hopper, the rivets tend to form entangled masses which the present machine is particularly adapted to untangle and feed as individual rivets in the proper relation to a rivet setting mechanism.

What is claimed is:

l. A feeding device for hollow headed rivets comprising a feed cup provided with a work face, an annular row of protuberances on said work face, said protuberances being spaced at their bases an amount less than the width of the heads of rivets to be fed, and a barrier wheel having a rim mounted adjacent said protuberances and having a work face on said rim spaced from said protuberances to permit a hollow headed pronged rivet to be fed over said protuberances, the effective width of the work face on said rim of said barrier wheel being of diiferent widths in different portions of said rim.

2. A feeding device for hollow headed pronged rivets comprising a feed cup, a hopper to introduce rivets into said feed cup, means to intermittently rotate said feed cup, said feed cup being provided with a work face, an annular row of conical protuberances on said work face, said protuberances being spaced apart at their bases an amount less than the width of the heads of rivets to be fed, and a barrier wheel having an open center and a rim mounted adjacent said protuberances and spaced apart therefrom to enable hollow headed rivets to be fed over said protuberances, a portion of said rim being of lesser width than the remaining portion thereof.

3. A feeding device for hollow headed pronged rivets comprising a feed cup, a hopper frame, a

bearing insaid hopper frame, a shaft in said bearing and. adapted to carry said feed cup, means to rot-ate said feed cup, a hopper chute provided'in said hopper frame to feed said hollow headed rivets into said feed cup, a work face on said feed cup, a row of conical studs mounted on said work face, a barrier wheel having ,a rim adjacent the ends of said conical studs, a hub on said feed cup, a hub for said barrier wheel carried by said hub on said feed cup, and curved spokes extending from said hub of the barrier wheel to the rim thereof.

4. A feeding device for hollow disc-like members comprising a feed cup, a hopper frame adapted to carry said feed cup, means to rotate said feed cup, a hopper chute provided in said hopper frame to feed said hollow members into said feed cup, a work face on said feed cup, a row of conical studs mounted on said work face, a barrier wheel having a rim adjacent the ends of said conical studs, a hub for said barrier wheel carried by said feed cup, and curved spokes extending from said hub to said rim, said rim being of varying width.

5. A device for feeding hollow headed pronged rivets comprising a feed cup, a hopper frame on which said feed cup is mounted, said hopper frame comprising a hopper chute to feed hollow headed rivets into said feed cup, means to rotate said feed cup, said cup being provided with a work face, a row of studs extending from said work face, a barrier wheel having a rim mounted adjacent said studs, a track in said hopper frame within which said rim rotates, a portion of said rim being narrow, a hub for said wheel being mounted upon said feed cup, and curved spokes extending from the inner edge of said rim and through Said feed cup to said hub whereby said spokes constitute agitators for pronged rivets within said feed cup.

6. A feeding device for hollow headed pronged rivets comprising a hollow feed cup, a hopper frame adapted to support said feed cup, means to rotate said feed cup, said feed cup being provided with a work face, an annular row of conical studs mounted upon said work face, a hopper chute in said hopper frame, the bottom portion of said hopper chute comprising a portion of a conical surface, and a rotatable barrier Wheel, a circular track in said hopper frame for i said barrier wheel, said barrier wheel comprising a rim, a portion of said rim being narrow and inclined to comprise a continuation of the inclined conical surface at the bottom of said hopper chute, the remaining portion of said barrier Wheel rim being wider to impede the flow of pronged rivets from said hopper chute into said feed cup.

7. A feeding device for hollow headed pronged rivets comprising a hollow feed cup having a work face, an annular ring of conical studs on said work face, a feed chute to feed rivets into said feed cup, a barrier wheel spaced apart from said studs and mounted adjacent thereto, said barrier wheel comprising a rim with the major portion thereof being of sufficient width to impede the movement of rivets from the feed chute into the hollow feed cup and with the remaining portion of the rim being narrow to permit the free flow of articles from said feed chute into said cup, a delivery chute for said pronged rivets which escape from the feed cup, a positioning bar mounted over a portion of said delivery chute to position the prongs of successive rivets in a predetermined relation to each other.

8. In a device for feeding rivets having multiple pairs of prongs, a delivery chute, means at the entrance of the delivery chute to deliver said rivets to the delivery chute with the prongs thereof all extending in one direction, means to guide said rivets in a portion of said delivery chute with the prongs thereof arranged in parallel rows.

9. In a device of the class described for feeding rivets having multiple pairs of prongs, a feed cup, a curved delivery chute adjacent said feed cup, a substantially vertical delivery chute extending from said curved chute, guide bars on said verticalchute spaced apart less than the maximum diameter of the heads of said rivets and more than the distance between adjacent prongs of said rivets, and positioning means adjacent the entrance to said vertical chute to guide rivets into said vertical chute with the prongs thereof in two rows parallel to the edges of said guide bars. v

10. In a device of the class described for feeding multiple pronged rivets, a feed cup, a curved deliveryvchute adjacent said feed cup, a substantially vertical delivery chute extending from said curved chute, guide bars on said vertical chute spaced apart less than the maximum diameter of the heads of said rivets and more than the distance between adjacent prongs of said rivets, a guide bar adjacent the entrance to said vertical chute to guide rivets into said vertical chute with the prongs thereof parallel to the edges of said guide bars, and a plate to support said guide bar over the path of said rivets in the vertical chute.

JULIUS GUAL'IIERE. 

